Earth-auger.



GEORGE FRANK, TITONKA, IOWA.

EARTH-AUGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed September 18,1906. $erial No. 335,080.

To all whom, it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE FRANK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Titonka, in the county of Kossuth and State of Iowa, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Earth-Angers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention is an earthauger, and has for its object an improved formof bit, together with an adjustable reamer and other novel features ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are elevations of theinvention in different positions. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on theline 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, denotes the auger-bit, which issecured tc one end of a shank 11, provided with a suitableoperating-handle 12. The bit is an inwardly curved semicircular bladehaving on one side a cutting edge 13. The blade tapers to a point at itslower end, and said end is-also twisted to form a cutting-lip 14, whichis in advance of the cutting edge 13.

The reamer is carried by a shank 16, which crosses and is pivoted at 17to the shank 11, the latter shank having a slot 18, through which theshank 16 extends. The reamer is a semicircular blade having a curved andsharpened lower end 19, so that it will readily penetrate the ground.The blade also has on one side a cutting edge 20.

At its upper end the reamer is secured to a' short stem 2] and the lowerend of the shank 16 has an extension 22'. Said stem and the extensionhave circular heads 23 and 24, respectively, which are pivotallyconnected by a bolt 25, extending through alined openings in said heads.The bolt is secured by a wing-nut 26. The contacting faces of the headshave interlocking radially-disposed teeth 27, which prevent the headsfrom turning on each other when clamped in adjustable position by thebolt 25.

In use when the auger is screwed into the ground the dirt will be packedinto the space between the bit and the reamer. The shank 16 is locked tothe shank 11 by a sleeve 28, slidable on the latter. When full, theauger will be withdrawn from the hole and emptied by sliding the sleeve28 off the shank 16. which releases the reamer and permits it to swingaway from the bit, thereby allowingthe dirt to drop from the auger. Ifthe soil is sticky, the reamer may be removed, as the bit will hold thedirt without it. The reamer can be readily set according to the diameterof the hole to be bored upon loosening the nut 26 and turning therea1ner-blade so that its cutting edge extends the required dis tancebeyond the plane of the cutting edge of the bit, as shown by dottedlines in Fig. 3. To assist the advance of the auger into the ground, theoutside of the bit and reamer are formed with helical ribs 29.

I claim 1. An earth-auger comprising crossed and pivotally-connectedshanks carrying respectively a bit and an adjustable reamer.

2. An earth-auger having a pair of semicircular blades provided with acutting edge, one of said blades being adjustable to extend its cuttingedge beyond the plane of the cutting edge of the other blade.

3. An earth-auger comprising crossed and pivotally-connected shanks eachcarrying a semicircular blade having a cutting edge, and one of saidblades being adjustable to extend its cutting edge beyond the plane ofthe cutting edge of the other blade.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE FRANK.

Witnesses:

H. C- ARMSTRONG, GLEN REIBsAMEN.

